Photographic printing machine



Jan. 20, 1959 c. E. YOUNG BERG 2,869,447

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 17, 1953- 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 v IN V EN TOR.

ByQl/ 62 A ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 17, 1953 H #M N m w m 46K In. ye B 2 I63 1 6 a 7 a W wv W W F United States Patent PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Carl E. Young Berg, Los Angeles, Calif.

' Application September 17, 1953, Serial No. 380,678

2 Claims. (Cl. 95-73) This invention relates to photographic apparatus and more especially to a photo printing machine.

An object of the invention is to provide novel improvements in an automatic photo printing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a photo printing machine adapted for mass production.

An additional object of the invention is to provide in a production printer means for automatically ejecting the printed paper utilizing asuction control.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a production printer an adjustable exposure control whereby the speed of the machine is constant; however, all prints are given adequate exposure.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a mass production printer having an air flow over the negative free from lint.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings where- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation View taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the vacuum release valve.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial sectional. view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along the line 77 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 show a mass production printer comprising a frame or cabinet 10 providing a table. 11 having a wide opening covr- -ed by glass plate or other window 12 disposed above alight well 13 of any suitable construction. A plurality of lamps 14 are supported on plate 15 within well 13, the plate being positioned above a motor driven cooling fan 16, a rheostat 17 being suitably mounted within cabinet 10 as shown in Figure 1 for varying the current to lamps 13. By this construction the light intensity of lamps 14 may be raised and lowered for different exposure conditions, the time of exposure being constant.

A rectangular plate 24 has a resilient pad 25 such as sponge rubber secured to the lower face thereof, and a plurality of brackets 26 are secured to the upper side of the plate, and two pairs of links 27 and 27a connect brackets 26 with pairs of pivot brackets 28 and 28a secured on table 11, links 27 being longer than links 27a and the brackets being spaced as shown.

A pair of links 30 are pivotally connected to a pair of angle plates 31 secured to plate 24, and the upper ends of links 30 are each connected to a lever arm 32 mounted on but not connected to a shaft 33 having a suitable bear- "ice ing mounting on table 11. A lever arm 34 connected to shaft 33 is provided for each lever arm 32 and is ad justably connected thereto by a pair of adjusting screws 35 which are carried by flanges 36 on arm 32.

A pair of lever arms 37 are connected to shaft 33 and a link rod 38 is connected to each arm 37. A link mem ber 40 guides link 38, has slidable flanges 41 and 42 through which rod 38 extends, and carries a spring 43 positioned between a nut 38a on rod 38 and flange 41 on link 40 whereby a cushion connection is made between links 38 and 49. A rebound spring 39 may be provided as shown, if desired. Links 40 are each connected to a lever arm 44 secured to a rock shaft 441) suitably mounted to frame it and a lever arm 44c secured on shaft 44b is connected by a link 44d which has a crank pin connection 45 with a cam disc 46 mounted on a shaft 47 extending from a reduction gear mechanism 48 mounted on a base plate 50 carried by frame 10.

Cam disc 46 has a radial cam 51 and a surface cam 52. Shaft 47 is driven by a reduction gear shaft 53 through a belt 54 from a shaft 55 of a motor 56 mounted on base plate 5%). A belt 57 driven by shaft 55 drives the shaft of a vacuum and air pressure pump 58 mounted on plate 50.

Pump 58 has a pressure line 60 and a vacuum line 61 which is connected to a vacuum breaking device 62. Device 62 has a bleeder port 63, and a port valve 64 is mounted on a spring biased rocker arm 65 carrying a roller which engages and is actuated by cam 51 to unseat valve 64 from port 63 for breaking the vacuum at the required time. A suitably mounted rocker arm 65b is actuatable by a safety pedal 650. A vacuum line 61a leads from device 62 and is connected to a pipe 66 having a bleeder port 67 controlled by port 68 in a sleeve 70 having a slot 71 through which extends a stop pin 72 mounted on pipe 66. Thus sleeve 70 may be rotated on pipe 66 to register port 68 with port 67 for manually breaking the vacuum in the vacuum line when desired.

A vacuum line 61b is connected to pipe 66 and to a header block 73 from which lead a plurality of vacuum lines 61c, 61d and 612, block 73 providing control means for these lines comprising screws 74 which may be adjusted to restrict the vacuum in each of these lines as they are connected to the header. Each vacuum line 61c, 61%! and 61s is connected to a tube 75 as shown in Figure 6 extending through a block 76 mounted on plate 24 and through aligned apertures in plate 24 and pad 25, a vacuum cup 77 being secured to the end of each tube '75 which is threaded and has an adjusting nut 78. Tube 75 has a loose fit in block 76, plate 24 and pad 25, so that the tubes may drop slightly to facilitate release of the printed paper during the printing operations. A dispersion nozzle 80 is connected to pressure line 68 and dis posed adjacent one corner of plate 12 and directs a dispersed jet of air over plate 12 in order to free the printed paper therefrom when being lifted by the plate 24 mechanism including the vacuum from lines 61c, 61d and 610 which are disposed at several places about plate 2 as shown in Figure 2.

A plurality of lamp selector switches 81 are suitably mounted as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and each of the lamps 14 is connected to one of the switches 81 so that the intensity of illumination from the lamps may be varied and controlled throughout a wide range. A cam switch 82 mounted on the reduction gear housing has a cam lever arm actuated by cam 52, and switch 82 is an actuating switch for all of lamps 14. A switch 83 which is paralleled with switch 82 is adapted to be actuated by pedal 84 so that the lamps 14 may be iighted to provide illumination for testing or adjusting the set-up prior to making a run of prints. A motor switch 85, a master switch 86 and a signal switch 87 are provided as shown,

(1: switch S7 controlling a pilot lamp 88 mounted on plate 15. Guide blocks 89 may be provided for window 12 as shown, and a chute is formed in the cabinet as shown for dispensing the Work after being printed and when dropped from the pad 25. A transparent plate or frame 91 is positioned below plate 12 for holding the usual negatives.

The operation of the invention should be clear from the foregoing description. The operation of the machine is continuous, plate 24 being swung downwardly over window 12 and returned to a position over chute 91} as shown and indicated in Figure 4. During the period plate 24 is in position with pad 25 holding a positive to be printed, cam 52 will actuate switch 82 momentarily for lighting lamps 14 for making the exposure, and upon the upward movement of plate 24 the positive will be picked up by the vacuum lines 61c, 61d and 61a, and at the upper point of the plate movement cam 51 will actuate bleeder device n2 for releasing the vacuum, whereupon the positive will be dropped into chute 90, and this action will be repeated at a rapid rate. The connection between links 27a and their pivot brackets 26 or 23a is sumciently loose so that upon upward movement the front portion of plate 24 will be lifted from window 12 before the rear portion, thus breaking the vacuum therebetween.

It will be understood that the foregoing description is illustrative rather than restrictive of my invention and that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. An automatic photo printer as described, comprising in combination, a frame providing a work table having a light well, a light in said Well, means for supporting a negative at the top of said well, a sheet supporting window over said means, a pressure plate for said window, a

rotary drive shaft having a crank and a cam wheel, rod means connected between said crank and said pressure plate for raising and lowering said plate, long and short, respectively, swingable front and rear link means connecting said pressure plate to pivots at the rear part of said frame, said rear link means having a loose connection with said pressure plate, whereby said pressure plate when raised is shifted to a rearward inclined position and the front edge of said plate is first to break contact with the window surface and the rearward movement of the plate takes place only after the rear edge thereof has left the window surface, vacuum supply means, said pressure plate having a plurality of transverse ducts, a conduit system connecting said ducts to said vacuum supply means, a valve for said conduit system actuated by said cam wheel when said pressure plate has reached uppermost position whereby a printed sheet is lifted from said window and released from said plate when at rearmost position as said shaft is rotated.

2. Structure according to claim 1 including air pressure supply means and dispersion nozzle means on said work table to direct a jet of air across said window from a marginal portion thereof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,125,148 Merrill Jan. 19, 1915 1,710,960 Anderson Apr. 30, 1929 1,783,953 Briggs Dec. 9, 1930 1,831,248 Hopkins Nov. 10, 1931 1,881,791 Maresh Oct. 11, 1932 1,947,795 Post Feb. 20, 1934' 2,100,087 Priou Nov. 23, 1937 2,426,092 Grogan Aug. 19, 1947 2,638,827 Leavitt May 19, 1953 

